I would like to be updating more frequently, but orchestrating “Turbine” is kicking my ass. I think I spent three days on only five pages. They’re a crucial section — it’s the first huge climax of the piece — so I wanted to get it right. After far-too-many hours on it, I think it’s as good as I’m capable of making it. Here’s the PDF of a few pages if you’re curious. (The PDF is printable, in case it’s not decipherable on your screen.)

Not only was it a bitch to score, I’m pretty sure it’s terribly difficult to play. Check out measure 89, where the first trumpet is playing a high C# (written), the French horn has a high B (concert E), and the trombones have high A’s and B’s. The clarinet parts in the previous bars are silly-high, too.

And I had to add an eighth percussion part.

Oy. And this is only the first 3 minutes of the piece. If this were for orchestra rather than wind ensemble — with the amount of rehearsal time an orchestra piece typically gets — the piece wouldn’t have a prayer.

This Thanksgiving, I gave thanks for band.